With remarkable development in the field of computers, electronics and communication technologies, there are being provided various wireless communication services via a wireless network. The most basic wireless communication service is a wireless voice communication service which provides wireless voice communication for users of mobile communication terminals. This can provide a service without regard to time and location. Moreover, recently there has risen a wireless Internet service which provides users of mobile communication terminals with an Internet communication service through a wireless network.
Accordingly, subscribers of the mobile communication service can make communication with other users at any time and at any place by using a wireless communication service, while moving freely. In addition, subscribers can be provided with various information such as news, weather, sports, stocks, foreign exchange, traffic situations, or the like, in various forms such as characters, voice or images, through the wireless Internet service.
In the meantime, recently a ring back tone (hereinafter, RBT) service enabling various sounds designated by a receiver of a mobile communication terminal to sound as an RBT in a sender's mobile communication terminal or general telephone, or socalled a substitute RBT service is getting into the spotlight. The RBT service like above provides the sender with the RBT designated by the receiver. Namely, this is a service which enables the latest ballads, pop songs, sounds of birds or water, even pre-recorded self voice, etc, to be used as the RBT, instead of an existing mechanical RBT such as “tinkle-tinkle.”
With provision of the RBT service like above, it is possible for the sender to have auditory satisfaction by listening to the sound designated by the receiver, not a routine and mechanical RBT.
In the meantime, an intelligent network (IN) is a structural concept which can be adopted in every communication network such as a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), an Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN), a Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) and the like. Thus, the intelligent network enables both service providers and equipment providers to embody a network by defining a service independently to each other. In case that the intelligent network is introduced, it is possible to facilitate introduction of a new service on an intelligent network platform capable of providing the service more flexibly.
The structure of the intelligent network comprises a transfer layer for substantially transmitting communication information such as voice or data, based on a Service Switching Point (SSP); a signal layer for transferring control signals between elements of each net-work within the transfer layer; and a service layer for substantially controlling and managing a request for the intelligent network service, occurring in the transfer layer, through the signal layer, based on a Service Control Point (SCP).
The transfer layer comprises an existing telephone network, a public switched data network, an ISDN and the like. General subscribers ask for a service to the SSP through a communication terminal belonging to the transfer layer. The signal layer uses a SS NO. 7 signal method including data and control signals for operating and managing the transfer layer and a transaction processing signal for the intelligent network service, besides a signal for processing a general call. In addition, in the aspect of the IN, the signal layer serves as a relay layer connecting the lower transfer layer to the upper service layer. The service layer mainly comprises the SCP maintaining subscriber data and control information with respect to the intelligent network service, and a Service Management System (SMS). Therefore, the intelligent network service is enabled where the aforementioned layers are synthetically connected and functions thereof operate systernatically.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating configuration of a system for providing the conventional Ring Back Tone (RBT) service in an Intelligent Network (IN)
As illustrated in FIG. 1, the system for providing the conventional RBT service may comprise a Service Switching Point (SSP) 100, a Service Control Point (SCP) 102, an Intelligent Penpheral (IP) 104, a Coloring Server (CRS) 106 and a Signaling Gateway (SG) 108.
In order to embody the RBT service based on the IN, it is required not only the SSP 100, the SCP 102, and the IP 104 corresponding to the physical object of the intelligent network, but also the CRS 106 maintaining sound source information by each of users.
Referring to FIG. 1, interoperation between the SCP 102 and the CRS 106 is required to embody the RBT service based on the IN. However, since each of protocol used therein is different, the SG 108 is required to convert the protocol therebetween.
FIG. 2 is a drawing illustrating a process of providing the conventional RBT service in the IN.
The SSP 100 connected to a Mobile Switching Center (MSC) of a receiving terminal 110 which is required for call receipt, transmits information on the receiving terminal 100, e.g. information on whether the receiving terminal 110 subscribes to the RBT service, to the SCP 102 (S200). In case that a response message is received from the SCP 102 that the receiving terminal 110 subscribes to the RBT service (S202), the SSP 100 transmits a call connection requesting message to the IP 104 (S204) and receives a response message thereto (S206). Thus, a communication line is formed between the SSP 100 and the IP 104.
The IP 104 transmits an Assist Request Instruction (ARI) to the SCP 102 (S208). The SCP 102, having receiving the ARI, transmits a request message for a sound source to the SG 108 (S210), in order to inform the IP 104 of the sound source designated by a user of the receiving terminal 110. The SG 108 transmits a request message for a sound code to the CRS 106 (S212) and the CRS 106 transmits the sound code corresponding to an ID number of the receiving terminal 110 (S214). The SG 108, having receiving the sound code, transmits the same to the SCP 102 (S216). The SCP 102 includes the sound code in a Play Announcement message (PA message) so as to transmit the same to the IP 104 (S218). The IP 104 receives the PA message and then plays the sound source (S220).
The conventional RBT service based on the IN like above has the following problems.
First, since the SCP 102 and the CRS 106 have respectively different protocol, there is a defect that separate apparatus such as the SG 108, converting protocol therebetween, is required to embody the conventional RBT service. In addition, since there is no protocol engaged as an interoperation standard between the SCP 102 and the CRS 106, there is a problem that settlement between providers of the SCP 102 and those of the CRS 106 is required. Thus, in case of changing the SCP 102 or the CRS 106, there is another defect that it takes time to provide services.
Moreover, in a process for embodying the aforementioned conventional RBT service, the SCP 102 interoperates with the SSP 100, the IP 104 and the SG 108. Therefore, there is a problem that the SCP 102 is easy to be overloaded.
In the meantime, in the aforementioned process, it is apparent that the number of transmitting/receiving the messages, including the ARI, is 6 times before the IP 104 plays the sound. Thus, if the number is reduced, it may be expected to shorten the response time.